Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented May 6, |902.

L'. MONTEL.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application led Oct. 3, 1900.)

` (No model.)

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LEO MONTEL, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AOETYVONE VMANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., AND JERSEY CITY, NEW JER- SEY, A CORPORATION OF NEV JERSEY.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,337, dated May 6, 1902.

Application led October 3, 1900. Serial No. 31.811. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LEO MONTEL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

1o This invention relates to acetylene-gas generators of the general character of those shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 645,905, dated March 20, 1900;,and it has for its object to improvethe construction of generators of the class referred to, and particularly to produce a generator of this class which shall be well adapted for use in portable lamps-such as table-lamps,bicyclelamps,dac. For purposes of explanation of the nature of zo the invention it is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as embodied in a bicyclelamp; but it will be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular construction and arrangements of 2 5 parts shown and described herein.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the bicycle-lamp to which the invention is applied, the carbid-container being shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a sectional 5o View in the plane of the axis of the carbidholder. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the combined means for raising the carbid and simultaneouslycutting oif the supply of gas to the burner. Fig. l is a detail plan view of the 3 5 'carbid-lifter. Y

The lamp chosen for illustration in the drawings comprises a container A, which receives the main body of the water used in the generator, a Water-reservoir B, which is supported above the container by a tube C, a generating-chamber D, supported,preferably, by the lower end of the tube C Within the container A, and a pressure-equalizing chamber E, which is connected with the generatingchamber and may be conveniently formed in the upper part of the container A. The burner F, which may be of any suitable character, is shown in the drawings as secured to the wall of the container A, being directly connected 5o with the cqualizing-chamber E.

The improved generator is particularly designed for using calcium carbid in sticks prepared in some such manner as set forth in Letters Patent of the United States No. 648,349, dated April 2-1, 1900, and while some features 5 5 of the invention have particular reference to the use of the carbid in such form nevertheless the invention is not restricted as to such features as are capable of general application to the use of the carbid in any particular form. 6o In the generator represented in the drawings a container G is provided for the carbid and consists of a metal shell or tube, preferably made in two parts, the upper part g' receiving the stick of carbid, together with a spring- 6 5 follower g, which keeps the carbid from being thrown about in the movements of the lamp or generator, and the lower part gifitted snugly to the upper part, so as to be held thereto by friction against the weight of the 7o carbid and the pressure of the spring, and hav- `ing a grated bottom, preferably consisting of concenc ric rings of wire fastened together and supported by a wire bar and provided with prongs or teeth g3, through which the carbid comes in contact with the Water, the part g2 being also perforated, if desired. The container G, with the carbid, is placed in the well formed by the tube O and is there supported by means which will be described presently. 8o The top of the well is closed by a cap C', which is preferably threaded tightly in the end of the tube.

The gas generated by contact of the carbid with the Water rises within the large tube or well C and is conducted from a point near the top thereof by a small tube 'c to the pressure-equalizing chamber E. The latter is con nected directly to the burner F, which has below the burner-tip f a chamber f large 9o enough to receive suitable drying material if the same is required, such chamber being provided with a screw-plug f2 to permit any accumulated water to be drawn o. The chamber E serves mainly to prevent the ame 9 5 at the burner-tip from fluctuating with the slight variations of pressure which naturally occur within the generating-chamber D. It also serves as a chamber for drying and purifying the gas before it reaches thc burner. roo

For the purpose of lowering the carbid into the water, which partly iills the container A, and raising the carbid out of contact with the water when it is desired to discontinue the generation of gas a lifter I-I, preferably consisting of a wire frame adapt-ed to support the carbid-container G, is pivoted or hinged, as at as, at one side of the generating-chamber l) and is arranged to be operated for the purpose ot' raising and lowering the carbid by means external through the container A. As shown in the drawings, suchmeans comprise a rod h, which engages the lifter II and has a snug working fit within a tube h', so as to prevent the escape of gas. In the upper end or head of said rod 7L is a pin p, which works in a slotin the tube 7i. Above the container A is mounted a lever I, which has a cam-slotz' to engage said pin p and raise or lower the rod 7L as the lever is turned one way or the other upon its pivot. In order to prevent the slow passage of gas through the burner, it is desirable to cut off the supply of gas to the burner simultaneously with the lifting of the carbid from contact with the water, so that the flow to the burner of such slight quantities of gas as may be evolved thereafter shall be Wholly prevented. To this end a stopcock c is placed in the tube c, and the lever I is secured tothe stem of such stop-cock, so that when the lever is operated to lift the carbid from the water the stop-cock is simultaneously closed to prevent the passage of gas to the burner. When the lever is operated to lower the carbid into the water, the stopcock issimultaneously opened to permit the passage of gas to the burner.

It will be understood that when the gas accumulates within the generating-chamber it.

will drive the wafer out of the same into the space between the Wall of the generatingchamber and the wall of the container A, and thence through a tube ct into the reservoir B, a small vent b' being provided at the top of the reservoir, so that the contained air may escape as it is displaced by the water. In order to prevent a sudden rush of Wat-er from the generating-chamber, the mouth of the same is contracted, as by the conical plate CZ, so that resistance is offered to the escape of water from the chamber. So, also, in order to avoid a too abrupt movement of the water from the container A into the reservoir B the tube ct, which conducts the Water, is preferably sinuous or coiled, being conveniently disposed as a spiral around the middle portion of the tube C.

When the carbid is used in the form above referred to and disclosed in said Letters Patent No. 648,349, a coating forms on the carbid after it has been wetted and then withdrawn from the water, which retards the chemical action when the carbid is again introduced in the Water. It is desirable, therefore, that means should be provided for removing this coating without requiring the carbid to be Withdrawn from the generator. For this purpose there is provided a scratcher K, which is rotatably mounted in the bottom of the container A, the stem passing through a suitable stufiing-box and having outside of the container a suitable handle or head by which the scratcher may be rotated. At its upper end the scratcher is provided with suitable teeth 7c, which pass through the grated bottom of the carbid-container G into contact with the lower end of the stick of carbid, the latter being held from free movement by fixed teeth g3, which are carried by the said grated bottom. By rotating the scratcher slightly the coating above referred to is loosened and falls from the carbid into the bottom of the container A.

I claim as my inventionl. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination of a container adapted to receive water, a tube extended above the container and adapted to receive the carbid in its lower portion, a generating-chamber supported at the lower end of said tube, a pressure-equalizing chamber formed in the upper part of the container, and a small tube connecting the upper part of the first-named tube with said pressure-equalizing chamber.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a carbid-container of a scratcher provided with means engaging directly with the carbid to remove the coating therefrom.

In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination With the container adapted to receive Water and a carbid-container, of a scratcher provided with teeth to engage with the carbid vmounted in the container firstnamed, and

means external to said container to operate said scratcher to remove the coating from the carbid.

4. In an acetylene-gas generator, the combination with a containerl adapted to receive Water, a generating-chamber having an outlet, a stop-cock to control said outlet, and a lifter to raise the carbid from the water, of an actuator operatively connected with said IOO IIO

lifter and said stop-cocl to operate the same l 

